By Tony Attwood
For a long time after it happened Harry Redknapp claimed he did not know why he was sacked by West Ham. In 1999 WHU had had their second best ever season coming fifth in the Premier League and qualifying for the Intertoto. In 2000 West Ham won the Intertoto and qualified for the UEFA Cup – another step up. Then he left WHU one game before the end of the 2000/1 season he was sacked.
Parallels to today, perhaps.
At the time he said that he had just arranged a new four year contract, and had gone to see the chairman about transfer funds for the next season, but was sacked instead. In 2007 he gave a slightly different version saying that he had talked to a fanzine and said some things he should not have said.
I can’t find the fanzine, nor any supporting evidence other than Mr Redknapp’s assertion that this was the case (made on a Satanta TV show in 2007.) If you know the fanzine, or better have a copy and can scan it, please do let’s see it. (I am not suggesting Mr Redknapp made the story up, but it would be nice to see what he actually said).
Anyway, after that it has not been all plain sailing. While Mr R. clearly can’t be blamed for everything, bad luck does follow him as Bournemouth, West Ham, Southampton, and Portsmouth (his clubs) have all had deep financial troubles. Interestingly, some of the fans of his ex-clubs don’t hold him in high esteem either.
Mr Redknapp has had his days in court too – and was found not guilty. In 2006 Panorama showed him seemingly tapping up Andy Todd. In 2007 there were questions about the gift to him of a racehorse called Double Fantasy which again came to nothing.
Next Mr Redknapp was arrested along with Peter Storrie and Milan Mandarić, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. It was openly known abroad, and hints were given in the UK (including by Untold, in citing the Crown Prosecution Website which gave the clue) that Storrie had, for reasons that have never been explained, been tried separately and earlier, and found not-guilty – thus making the rest of the trial something of a farce. (That is not to say I suggest Mr Redknapp was guilty – rather that the organisation of the trial was utterly odd).
However in the trial Mr Redknapp did rely on the interesting evidence in court, notably that he was both dyscalculic and dyslexic – difficult disabilities for a football manager dealing in transfers. Indeed it is probably the only time a football manager has relied on such statements in his defence.
After the case he said he would take the police to court over his arrest. I don’t think he did, although the High Court ruled in May 2008 that the raid on Mr Redknapp’s house, even though accompanied by search warrants, was “wholly unacceptable,” and ordered the police to pay him £1000 compensation. A very rare turn of events.
But lets be clear: Harry Redknapp has delivered the most successful team at Tottenham in years with a 4th, 5th, 4th finish, and almost becoming the top London team for the first time since 1995. There was talk of this team being better than the 1991 cup winning team. But then…
On the morning of 8 February Redknapp was acquitted of charges of tax evasion. That evening, Fabio Capello resigned as England manager. A Roy of the Rovers story with modern day scenarios. On 11 Feb Tottenham beat Newcastle 5-0. In the next game Tottenham went 2-0 up against Arsenal. I remember it. I was there.
By more to the point why is he going? I have read fans say that Arry can’t take Tottenham to the next level. That’s dangerous because getting above Chelsea, Liverpool, Man C, Man U, Newcastle and Arsenal involves not only Tottenham doing brilliantly but also all of those clubs having an off-season. You may not have noticed it, but the standard goes up every year. Besides although Tottenham have a benefactor in the Virgin Islands, he doesn’t want to plough a fortune into the club. Rather he looks to me like a man who wants to sell it when it is in the Champs League. Maybe that is the clue.
Did Mr Leavey think that Mr Redknapp paid too much attention to England? Should Arry have said, “Thanks but no thanks,” rather than let it all roll? Come to that was it a conspiracy by the FA to get their own back at him for something or other? (No, it wasn’t I am sure, but conspiracy theories are always fun.)
Was it the fall from 10 points clear of Chelsea and Arsenal on 11 Feb to fourth? Hell, shit happens. Everyone has bad runs, and Tottenham is not yet established as a regular top four team. It needs another year or two.
Did Arsenal sack Mr Wenger because we kept going out in the group stages of the Champs League? No, they listened, let him buy, and told him to get on with it.
So maybe it was Mr Redknapp’s mouth that lost him the day. He talked about the fact that discussions of his future was destabilising the squad. He seemingly wanted a contract to take him up to the age of 70. And he wanted a transfer fund. Lots of it.
And maybe that is it. Mr Wenger, as we know, often makes a profit in the transfer market, and last time I looked had done this through his long tenure. Indeed he did it almost from the start with his sensational purchase of Anelka for £250,000 and sale of him for £25m. Mr Redknapp doesn’t seem to do that, and indeed as far as I can see (and please correct me if I am wrong) does make a lot of purchases that are costly but not always successful. Mr Wenger does that too – but these are overcome by the profits he makes over and over again. Anyone remember Overmars?
The problem is worse because like Arsenal a few years back, Tottenham need money now, and how, to build a stadium. As Mr Wenger found, it is a draining experience.
So maybe this is it. Mr Redknapp has made a loss in the transfer market, spoke openly of the smallness of his squad, while forgetting that some of his expensive purchases have not been playing in the first team, and demanding more money.
Or maybe it is this: he broke the great football rule of taking on Daniel Levy. Don’t talk about Mr Levy behind his back – particularly on TV and in the press. Don’t say you don’t know what’s going on. Do you ever hear other managers saying that? Yes, occasionally, but rarely at the top level. I can’t recall Mr Wenger ever mentioning the board. Sir Alex expresses great faith in his owners even when selling his very best player.
And don’t tell Mr Levy to “hurry up” and offer a new contract as he only has 12 months to go. Don’t go there. Mr Levy does not get pushed, and he does not explore corners. And while we are at it, don’t say at one point in the season we can be 1st and then say you are satisfied with 4th.
Yes I know Mr Wenger said “we could go all season unbeaten” and then lost a match (before actually doing it) but by then he had delivered an unbeaten away season, and a couple of doubles.
Oh, and don’t say things that might make your best players (Bale, Modric) think of leaving. Believe me as an Arsenal fan, I know what it feels like to lose great players. Brady, Stapleton, Henry, Overmars, Vieira, Cole, Fabregas. I hated leaving them, although Cole gave me reason also to want him to go personally – but as a footballer, I didn’t want any of that to happen.
Now with the manager going, what of Bale and Modric? And how quickly can some replacements be signed?
Mr Redknapp will presumably get his £3 million pay off, which will denude Tottenham’s coffers a little, just as the money is needed. Everton will want another £3m for their man.
Untold Ref Review: Sunderland 0 Man U 1
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Untold Ref Review: Chelsea 0 Newcastle 2
The clubs whose owners want to bail out, but who can’t find a buyer
Euro 2012: what’s of interest to Arsenal fans?
How governments are taking over football
Berbatov is one great Tottenham sale plus Keane, Crouch and Bent (and Palacios, Campbell, Chimbonda though those were undisclosed fees). Harry is a good wheeler dealer.
im sure levy has a plan personally i think moyes would be an improvement. ps Anelka cost 500k, and was sold for 22.5m… 😉
The old saying of “Be careful of what you wish for, you might just get it”, comes to mind. So many spuds wanted ‘Arry out, let’s hope the saying is true. Amazing how they can get rid of their 2 best managers in 20 years. Now’t as strange as folk…unless they’re spuds. Then they’re even stranger.
This does appear odd. I am not a huge harry fan but his success at Tottenham is undeniable. Sadly there is often a Football syndrome where managers become victims of their own success.
We see it all the time with Wenger. I am always discusted to hear a ManU fan talk about how Fergie needs to go for some fresh ideas to be bought in.
It appears Rednapp showed Fans a Glimpse of Greatness(well 3rd place) and now they blame him for not having it materialize.
Sometimes you get the feeling ‘Arry signs players for fun. i.e saha and nelsen. To ‘Arry he favours quantity to quality. Thank God we have Wenger. If ‘Arry was manager instead, we would have been bankrupt with all these needless signings.
CB
Crouch was sold for the same they paid and Bent was sold for £6M less.
To add to Stuart, didn’t Spuds paid more money for Keane? one to bring to spurs initially the 2nd to get him back from liverpool?
Campbell was a free transfer to us. Thought both palacios and Chimbonda was sold at a loss as well?
@CB – The sales of Keane ,Crouch,Bent e.t.c were all wiped out with the repurchase of quite a number of them at exorbitant prices !
Hmm…so another casualty for not getting into the Champs league! Dream On Spuds…dream on. Not every team is Arsenal and with the imminent exodus of your big names even 4th would be a distant dream for years to come!
Arry lovers, blame it on the media – so this is how the story goes – some tabaloid journalist (claiming to be in the know)looked at all the names and decided it would be Arry – so Arry it was to be – and every newspaper wrote (with a very definitive tone to it)that Arry is the new National Manager (so much so that Arry himself got convinced)….and then the slump began!!! Oh Gunner’s what did you do to them…some vodoo in the dressing room, was it?
And no one said a word to retract their speculation and then the frenzy made him lose his concentration, his team their position! So is he going to the middle east now?
That is a nice rational article Tony and I do hope some of the AAA or Spurs fans don’t come here calling people names. I do like to see opposition fans coming on here and talking sensibly. Look at how many Rangers fans came on here the last article? It was a pleasure to read many of the comments.
Agree with you Arvind. I also loved it very much and gave some insight on what it must be for the average Rangers supporter. I thought most of them actually were very brave and accepting punishment for the wrongdoing of their board. I really hope that those who made a mess of it will be punished and will not escape their punishment.
Fingers crossed we can keep the morons away. But we still have the oiks of course 😉
Apart from a passing interest, we musn’t get too embroiled with managerial or any matters concerning our North London rivals.
They continue to grasp (gingerly) to our coat tails and do their best.
Good luck to yet another poor soul who will be recruited into that “slough of despond”.
I will not buy the FA bit, I never heard them announce any particular person as taking over the England Managers job. The journalists made Redknapp favourite and he began to believe the hype stupidly enough. The FA said they would make their appointment at the end of the season and did not mention any names but people made their own assumptions and Harry thought he had the job in the bag even though he acknowledged there had been no contact. It makes you question his intelligence and with his utterances Levy obviously would start to worry.Management is also about diplomacy and tact now compare Martinez Wenger and Harry.
As a saints fan I obviously think very little of HR being the man that relegated us. While he was with us I can honestly say I’ve never seen a saints manager as inept. He was clueless; why? Because he didn’t have millions to spend. I believe anyone can play fantasy football and mandaric himself said Harry always wants two more players. Two more players and a bottomless pit of money leads to bankruptcy. Players on the payroll getting millions and not playing while on long contracts. An unsettled squad.
He is so over rated its untrue. He didn’t bring Spurs on at all. They had top five finishes the seasons before he came. He no doubt improved on what Ramos was doing but how much and at what cost?
I do hope that Moyes does not fall for this.
I said a week back that Spurs are a pricked balloon.
I didn’t mean it in a nasty way.
I reckon they’ve put so much effort to get to where they are,but failed to do what they wanted,that it all could go downhill for them,and very quickly.
Harry could be just the first to go,followed by Bale and Modric.
Another issue is exactly why has it taken so long for hem to get Vertonghen signed?
Hey want him,he wants them…….is it a money issue?
Maybe some Spurs fans can offer some insight here.
More on topic.
As the Tottenham boat changes course for the 13th time in the last 15 or 16 years and still has no save land in sight.
Meanwhile the Arsenal tanker is riding the waves and the storms. Steady it goes. Despite all the waves made by the media, the AAA, the refs, the building of the stadium and the financial problems it brings, the world wide financial crisis, the sugar daddies clubs, and who ever wants to sink it, it sails on.
We sail in the direction of a new era. If the rumours are to be believed we have the worst part of the storm behind us and come back in a calmer see.
No ship is unsinkable but it will take a gigantic iceberg to sink the Arsenal tanker.
harry has been a good manager for us, he has changed the club from near bottom to top half, but lets not forget that before ramos martin jol took us to two 5th finishes nearley a 4th place if it wasnt for the loss on the final day of the season. so we have been there abouts for a wile now. as for getting in moyes or mrtinez i dont think that will do any better. think moyes will make our def better but lose players like mods, van der varrt etc. need a big name manager in mourinho or pep but if we are beeing truthful them kind of managers are never going to us. think the next step for us would be avb or capello someone who knows tactics. only time will tell.
‘Arry has been given £3,000,000 pounds compensation for leaving Tottenham so after tax that’s £3,000,000.
A giant Russian iceberg,Walter lol.
Good article. Harry got Spurs playing great football, but the Capello resignation was a turning point. I was slightly concerned at Christmas, when we went for 2 six month deals, at a time when we were close to establishing ourselves. The 5-2 at the Emirates another- even at 2-0 up, it looked like Arsenal wanted it more.
Above all, I think Levy got sick of harry endlessly positioning the club through the media to take pressure off himself, as opposed to the players. At times last season Wenger sounded totally delusional as his team was struggling, but his utter beli reason that they pulled it around. ef in his players was, I think, the principal
Why do people say Redknapp is a wheeler dealer? Didn’t Redknapp sell Defoe for about 6Million and then buy him back for over 15 Million?
In a managerial career of almost 30 years he has won an FA cup and that’s it. He has spent more money than Wenger and has just an FA Cup to show for it.
Redknapp quit West Ham, Southampton, Portsmouth (Twice!!), now Spurs and he would have quit the England job if he got that.
Haha, yeah Arry is a wheeler dealer all right, but somehow all his old club went bankrupt………??? He kept dealing because he gets a cut of the money not because he can help to re-finance the club!
Levy sacked him probably because of fear of going bankrupt himself! Great move! Haha!
@Arry no WD:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJBsI7RAuvk
A good balanced article and some cautious and objective points well made. The fundamentally important element which is touched on is that first and foremost Levy is a businessman. Spurs are a business and their plans for the future especially in terms of the building of a new stadium requires an entirely different attitude, approach and culture at the club. It requires commercial nounce, pragmatism and fiscal intelligence across the entire business.
Arry Redknapper – has none of those qualities. Yes, putting my bias aside (I have never rated Arry – even before he went to Spurs)Arry obviously has something, maybe his down to earth, grounded manner appeals to footballers, maybe he has a certain fatherly style charisma, or is a genuinely caring man. He can motivate players and direct them. But he does not have the gravitas, the realism, the general Je ne se quoi that is now required at the Spuds for them to take their club to the next stage.
If anything this underlines how fortunate we are to have Arsene, he is commercial astute, fiscally switched on, has gravitas and charisma (when he wants) in shed loads and understands the bigger picture. Arry doesn’t and never will, that is why he has never managed a ‘Big Club’, has never managed overseas, has never actually won a real top level trophy. He can’t see what is required off the pitch and can’t influence people outside of his immediate areas of responsibility.
Arry isn’t and never will be an Arsene or a Fergie. Simply because the man is one dimensional. In the modern game at the top level you have be able to wear many hats and achieve many other things.
When media talked for months and months about “Harry for England!”, it was ignored completely but when they said “Harry is going to be sacked”, it happened the next day. Why Harry Why?
No CD,
Harry is not a “fackin Wheeler Dealer” lol etc etc etc
Could someone/we make a list of Harry’s transfer successes and failures so we will be able to certify that Harry was in fact pretty rubbish in transfer dealing at the Tots, ie the palacios transfer. It would make for an entertaining post…
(@work so i cannot do it at the mo)
What strikes me is that not too many clubs have had success by kicking out one manager who was successful and bringing in another.
Arsenal have done it once – if we count Rioch’s 4th as a success. He was removed and Wenger was brought in. Otherwise Arsenal have stuck with their managers – sometimes well beyond their sell by date (Wright, Swindin…)
But the real success comes with keeping a manager for a long time even through difficult times. But the temptation is always there to move on again.
What still worries me, is that for Tottenham to stay 4th in the league they not only have to improve a bit, which means brilliant dealing in the transfer market, holding players and bringing up the youth
and
hope desperately that Chelsea don’t improve, Liverpool don’t improve and Newcastle don’t improve and/or that one of the 3 above them fall back.
That is a tough request – and it is completely out of their control. A top four next season (in alphabetical order) of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man C, Man U would hardly be a surprise.
And if Tottenham really are going to hold back on spending because of the new stadium, then it will be very tough for them.
Jacobite
I am too busy just now to do this, but I would say, all managers have rubbish transfers. Players who are experimented with, who might be good, but just don’t make it as you hope.
What are we to say of Arshavin? Four goals against Liverpool, a decline, and then excellent for Russia.
It happens – the trick is to get more good than bad – and then try and make a profit.
Look ask any saints supporters about dirty arry & they will all agree “YOUR BETTER OFF WITHOUT HIM” & thank your lucky starts it’s now & not during the season.
No news yet on the replacement but my money is on Rafa. Harry would be best suited in the England hot seat as he can choose pretty much who he wants without having to pay for them and wont bankrupt the England team with transfers. The only issue is whether or not Rosie will be happy about not getting her cut of the fees.
Will arry be paid on the dogs account?
“Arsenal have done it once – if we count Rioch’s 4th as a success. He was removed and Wenger was brought in. Otherwise Arsenal have stuck with their managers – sometimes well beyond their sell by date (Wright, Swindin…)”
You seemed to have forgotten Wenger on that list of managers staying at Arsenal past their sell by date… Good article though none the less.
My article the other day about Spurs needing to window dress the club in order to make it more saleable was obviously even more prescient than I thought.
A manager, by his own admission barely able to read or write, making public statements about needing to pay players more money (not a good negotiation ploy and publicly demanding a better contract at a time when his club are obviously trying to cut costs is not good for the brand image.
But Harry having gone is Levy now the problem when it comes to attracting a new manager? He shows a poor record of manager coice and loyalty to those choices. He doesn’t have enough money to compete in the transfer market with at least four other clubs in the EPL and won’t have the benefit of increased income from a new stadium for several years – if ever.
David Moyes obviously gets on famously with his Chairman at Everton and would be mad to sacrifice that, even for more money. Martinez the same. The Spurs managership increasingly looks like a poisoned chalice – although my bet is that Gus Poyet is installed before the end of the week.
Speaking of conspiracy theories – is it a coincidence that Harry was only sacked after the Chelsea job became unobtainable?
Hi Walter,
I fully agree that all managers have rubbish transfers as it would be inconcieveble for them not to. I was just musing that, while we have a bit of time on our hands, it would be entertaining to find out how many of arry’s transfers were actually succesful and if the unsuccessful ones outweigh the successful ones.
I would start of and say that Van der vart, friedel, parker were successful so far (1st ones that spring to mine) but I have the funny feeling that arry has signed way more guff than good) but this is glossed over due to him being the media darling and the fact that a certain quarter of tots fans salivate over him because he took over from the awful Juande Ramos tenureship.
And on arry’s rein, he is always going to look good at the tots dues to taking over from Juande Ramos and achieving an upwards trajectory in the league.
Happens all the time, my reference/comparison would be Walter Smith taking the reins from Berti Vogts with Scotland. Anyone, and I mean anyone, would’ve looked good compared to ol’Bertie.
Sorry,
I meant “Hi Tony”, and not Walter.
(late night and too many mocha’s at work today)
Regarding the squad position of the tots at the moment and following what Tony commented…
…it seemed to me that VDV had a strong loyalty not to spurs but to Arry as he has came a number of times about how he enjoys playing for him, with CL and arry gone, surely this puts the tots at risk to losing him. (clubs allready circling-schalke)
Adebayor- very good goalscorer regardless of what we think about him personally- wit arry gone, it looks invetible that he will not join tots again (loan or signing)
Modric-looks very likely he’ll be off, the ensuing saga will disrupt spurs over the summer as well (hopefully to cesc levels)
So it looks as if tots could/will loose their three best players this summer and need to replace them and then finish in the top four again, does this sound familiar to us? I severely doubt spurs will be as lucky as us in their finishing position.
LOL, LOL, LOL.
*losing their three best players (in comparison it is implied that wilshere make up the 3 due to his injury)
What is most interesting is that during the time he was considered a favourite to become the England manager, on being asked what effect his change of jobs might have on the players, he said that the Tottenham players could not care less about who was their manager the next season- a very stark contrast to his most recent view on the subject.
There are very few things Portsmouth and Southampton fans agree on but Harry Redknapp is one. A shocking bloke who has a wallet where his brain should be. He has never acknowledged the duty of care a manager should at the club he manages and is only ever interested in self promotion and how much is in it for him. He’s a leech. Spurs got off lightly because they have a chairman who is sharper than he is. A host of other teams weren’t so fortunate.
The following is very, very relevant:
Both Redknapp of Pool, Dorset and Mandaric of Oadby, Leicestershire, were charged with cheating the Public Revenue, when Redknapp was manager of Portsmouth FC.
1) from the 1st April 2002 to 28th November 2007, the sum of $145,000 (£93,100) into a Monaco bank account.
2) from 1st May 2004 to 28th November 2007, the sum of allegedly of $150,000 into the same Monaco bank account.
These two sums of money came from a bank account in Florida, USA to a bank account in Monaco. Both banks outside the remit of Her Majesty’s Tax Inspector, namely Florida and Monaco.
The Inland Revenue failed to link the money going from Portsmouth FC straight to the bank account in Florida, USA. In other words, Mandaric had “fiddled the books”.
If the jury found Redknapp “guilty”, then Mandaric had to be found “guilty”.
Redknapp was the pawn and Mandaric the king, who the Inland Revenue really wanted to nail.
Redknapp did not declare the Monaco bank account, until Mandaric let the “doggie out of the bag”. It was the transfer of the 2 sums of money that the pair were both acquitted of.
Redknapp was GUILTY of TAX EVASION as he himself admitted.
The Daily Telegraph reporters, Winter, Hayward etc., are as thick as “eight planks of wood”!!!! Do not join them, Tony!
Very fair and balanced view on Redknapp.
While he’s far from the worst managers out there, as you’ve illustrated in your article, he doesn’t come without his problems. Getting his team to finnish 4th,5th & 4th is no mean feat, so there is a feeling that he was sacked for reasons other than football. With his history in how he spends the clubs money, it was probably wise for Tottenham to part ways with him. Would have been interesting to what would have ahppened had Chelsea not won the Champions League. Would ‘Arry have still been sacked?
What Spurs need most, more than anything, is there own Arsene Wenger, i.e. a good, well-rounded, stable manager. Funnily enough, someone like Hodgeson would probably have been better suited for them, as he’s known to bring stability along with his managerial skills. Similar can be said of David Moyse, considering how well overall he’s done at Everton.
Just makes me all the more greatful for the manager we’ve got at Arsenal.
A lot of end-of-season recaps seemed to attribute Tottenham’s late-season form to player fatigue, because of a lack of rotation within the squad. And yet ‘Arry had all sorts of expensively-compensated players sitting on his bench? That struck me as a little silly, much like his comments on his lack of use for ‘tactics’ and ‘shape’.
Looking forward, I find it hard to believe that Roberto Martinez would take over at WHL after turning down Liverpool — signs right now point to the former trying to rein in spending whereas the latter probably needs another burst of spending to win the fans over to the new ownership group.
Oik of the week to Bennydevito?
Bummydevitriol…….I am sure Tony or Walter will award you an OIK of the week but before they do, lets make one thing crystal clear. Your AAA, anti-Wenger comment is ignorant, spiteful and unwelcome here in a blog that is dealing with Harry Redknapp and on a website dedicated, as the banner says (if you can read that much at one time)to Lord Wenger.
Go to LeGrove webshite where they all believe they know more than Wenger.
@Notoverthehill
Exactly.
The myth of the case is ‘why would anyone to do this to avoid a few grand in tax?’
The reality of the case is that tax evasion is a strategy used to attack the proceeds of crime.
Plod is not a complete idiot
Plod knows what game was being played at Portsmouth, and Plod knows what he found at that house in the dawn raid.
I wouldn’t be surprised that Plod has got his own back behind the scenes as far as England and Spurs are concerned.
After all – Spurs want public money.
Gr8 point Nareen!
AVB for Tots!!!!!!!